BlackBerries Get New Google and TiVo Apps

BlackBerry users will enjoy more functionality on their devices with a new set of software. Google is offering a revised application for BlackBerries that adds a host of new features. On top of that, TiVo is going to let BlackBerry users schedule recordings directly from their handsets.

Google has always been good to BlackBerry users. It has long offered customized versions of its mobile software for the smartphone platform. Now it is offering an entire suite of applications that improve how well Google works on the BlackBerry.

One new function is faster search. The Google application launches immediately and you go straight to a search bar. This means you don't have to wait for your browser to launch first before you can perform searches. Google will also store your search history, so you can retrieve old searches. It now also includes the Google Suggest feature. With Google Suggest, the software will start offing you search querty suggestions as you start to type. For example, if you type the letters "prog", you'll see a pulldown menu with options such as "programming", "progressive", or "progenitor".

For the productivity minded, the new application will support Google Apps, allowing you to access your online Google Docs and Google Spreadsheets from the BlackBerry. In all, this is a lot of new functionality.

But wait. There's more.

RIM and BlackBerry have teamed up and are working on custom software for BlackBerries that will let you search through the TiVo Guide and schedule your DVR to record shows wirelessly. I don't know about you, but I've definitely forgotten to set my DVR on more than one occasion. Having the power to turn it on from your mobile phone is just a nice feature to have. The software will be available in the next month or so. RIM and TiVo will add other features to the software over time.